AMERICAN IDOL 4/4/12: Top 8 Performances + *POLL*

Don’t have time to post all of the performances from tonight’s 80s night, so I’ll just post the ones I liked.

PHILLIP:

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xpwxf3_phillip-phillips-that-s-all-american-idol-2012-top-8_music

• Aww…so cute that Phil’s brother-in-law got to perform with him…and that Phil looks up to/was inspired by his brother-in-law like that!
• I wouldn’t say this was my favorite of Phil’s performances so far…but he did a good job and really “Phil-ified” this Genesis song.  Great as usual!
• Also, it was cute to see some personality from Phillip at the end of the show…when Ryan was making his final announcements, and Phil kinda shadowed behind Ryan while making faces.

HOLLIE:

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xpwy07_hollie-cavanagh-what-a-feeling-american-idol-2012-top-8_music

• I was a bit annoyed with the judges’ comments tonight because I felt like they really didn’t give her ANY credit for what she did!  YES she MAY have looked a BIT awkward up there, but come on…this was her FIRST upbeat number this season!  At least she DID ONE, and she moved around the stage/audience too!  Hollie’s only 18!  She still needs to get more comfy up there!  Steven said her pitch was all over the place…I disagree with that one.  There were a few shaky parts, but…it wasn’t THAT BAD.
• Come on America…Vote to keep Hollie in!  She deserves to keep going!

COLTON:

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xpwyd9_colton-dixon-time-after-time-american-idol-2012-top-8_music

• I actually already had the Quietdrive version of Time After Time, and I thought it was the PERFECT arrangement for Colton.  He definitely wouldn’t have matched with the Cyndi Lauper version.
• He dyed his hair MORE blond!  I always do like the way he dresses.  I didn’t realize he has a tattoo!

SKYLAR:

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xpwyg6_skylar-laine-wind-beneath-my-wings-american-idol-2012-top-8_music

• When they showed Skylar rehearsing Dolly Parton’s 9 to 5, I actually thought that was a good choice for her.  BUT it was very predictable.  Would’ve been a TYPICAL Skylar performance.  Wind Beneath My Wings was definitely different for her, but it was great because it really let Skylar show off her vocal range!  She hit some HIGH notes in there!  While Skylar definitely isn’t my favorite, I’ve always said she really has a good voice…It’s strong, pretty pure, and now we see that she’s got quite a range!  Good choice!  And lucky for her, she got the pimp spot this week after being in the Bottom 3 last week.  Unlucky for Hollie because she already had gone last in a previous week (Hollie was in the B3 last week too!).

Just a couple of notes about some of the others:

• Umm…while she seemed to have gotten better the last couple of weeks, Elise’s attitude?  STILL THERE.  Totally.  As soon as the judges’ comments turned negative, you saw her face drop and the “chip” come out.  She just can’t take criticism…You can tell she doesn’t agree with what they’re telling her. So she doesn’t “soak it all in” like others would.  And that is why I still CANNOT like her…no matter how much talent she may have.
• Jessica to me still isn’t awesome.  Another Whitney song?!  What are you trying to say?  Her voice is strong, but it’s just not pure enough for me.  Plus I feel like she’s not as effortless as you would think she would be.

What do YOU think?

AMERICAN IDOL 3/28/12: Top 9 Performances + *POLLS*

“My Idol” night tonight…Overall a very good night!

COLTON  Everything:

• Not the most EXCITING song to start off the night, but Colton did a great job with that song.  I realized tonight that I really LOVE the SOUND of Colton’s voice.  It’s actually really pleasant to listen to, and he really can hit those notes!  The fact that the song was so touching to him spiritually was something.  I’m still a bit weary about the whole God/religious stuff, ’cause I think too much can definitely hurt a contestant’s chances, but for Colton himself, you can tell how much it means to him.  Good for him.

SKYLAR  Gunpowder & Lead:

• Miranda Lambert being Skylar’s idol is about right.  The way Skylar performs/type of country music she does matches Miranda very well.  Skylar is very good at stuff like this.  Very fitting.

HEEJUN  Song For You:

• Nice to see Heejun do a SERIOUS performance.  It was a total 180 from last week.  He sounded really good, but I’m still not wowed.  But definitely better than last week.

HOLLIE  Jesus Take The Wheel:

• Just the fact that Hollie picked a Carrie song made me like her more.  Wouldn’t have guessed she would pick Carrie.  But if anyone was going to do a Carrie song, I would’ve wanted it to be Hollie.  She did a respectable job, altho she still seemed a bit nervous at times.  Overall it was good.

DEANDRE  Sometimes I Cry:

• Now that was TOO MUCH falsetto for me.  WAY too much.  I KNOW this is what he does, and why he was picked to be on this show, but…That was just too much.  I can’t listen to it.  The judges loved it of course, but just NOT MY CUP OF TEA.  At all.

JESSICA  Sweet Dreams:

• OK, for me this performance was WAY too dramatic.  The fact that she slowed the song down, for me, was just a way to be more SHOWY.  I didn’t love it, and every time Jessica does all this showy stuff, I’m just like…Eh.  Too much.  Interesting choice too…of all of Beyonce’s hits.  I was one of her singles, but not one of her standouts.  But as usual, she sounded good still.

PHILLIP  Still Rainin:

• One word for Phillip — AUTHENTIC.  That’s the best way to describe him.  He’s the real deal.  And the fact that he picked a pretty obscure song/artist (Jonny Lang) just added to that.  He really gives it HIS ALL in every performance, and he’s so consistent.  And I gotta say, somehow this week he seemed a bit more dressed up.  Don’t know why, but he did.  He’s great.  Not to mention the comment that Stevie Nicks gave him…about how if he was around at that time, they would’ve wanted him in Fleetwood Mac?  Awesome.

JOSHUA  Without You:

• Joshua’s definitely got some voice.  To pull off Mariah was very risky, but he did a great job.  I just feel like every song he’s so gospel-y tho.  And that’s just not my thing.  But he did a good job.

ELISE  Whole Lotta Love:

• Guess I shouldn’t be surprised that they saved Elise for the pimp spot this week.  She took on Led Zepplin, which was pretty gutsy…but for me, it was good, but it still wasn’t Adam Lambert good.  She sounded great, but she didn’t have that same oomph that Adam did.  But I guess you could say their performances had different vibes.  Adam’s was definitely more hard rock, whereas Elise’s had more soul.  It’s hard for me to really praise Elise because she’s already turned me off…and I don’t think anything she does will win me over.  It was a good performance, and worthy of the last spot tonight (I guess ).

Just a quick note about the group numbers — I thought the first (Elise, Colton & Phillip) and last groups (Hollie, Jessica & Sylar) were good.  The 2nd one…Eh.  Which kinda makes sense because my favorites were in the first and third groups.

Who was YOUR favorite?

AMERICAN IDOL 3/14/12: Top 12 (11) Performances + *POLLS*

Well, we were SUPPOSED to have the Top 12 perform…but because of Jermaine Jones’ previous “issues,” we’re already down to 11.  Still not the biggest fan of this week’s theme (even tho they do it every season) — Songs from the year they were born.

Here are my standouts for me tonight:

PHILLIP PHILLIPS  Hard To Handle:

• Gotta give it to the guy — Surgery LESS than a week ago, and he’s on stage singing his heart out!  This song choice was pretty perfect for him.  He sounded great, and it was great to see him without the guitar.  He’s pretty charismatic, I must say.  And he SORTA dressed up a little more — at least his shirt had buttons.   Great job!

COLTON DIXON  Broken Heart:

• Umm…Talk about an OBSCURE song!  NEVER heard of the song OR the band.  White Lion?!  HUH?!  Picking such an unknown song was a bit of a risk, but I thought the song REALLY matched Colton.  He sounded GREAT….I was watching/listening to him, and his voice really does SOAR.  He sounds SO strong and full, I must say.  I thought he did a great job.  He’s a fan of Daughtry?!  Hmm…just lost a couple of points there.   But I still love Colton.  Great job!

ERIKA VAN PELT  Heaven:

• GREAT song choice Erika!  Such a classic song, and her voice matched it really well!  The change in the arrangement?  In Erika’s defense, it was Jimmy’s idea, not hers.  I didn’t think it was THAT much of a change…but I guess it probably would’ve been better to just leave it alone.  But I did like that dramatic pause they did during the song.  It was different.  Once again, Erika’s vocal tone is AWESOME.  So low and full.  The little piece with her mom and how proud she is of Erika was very sweet too.  I hope Erika can get by another week…She so deserves it.  I voted for her!

HOLLIE CAVANAGH  The Power of Love:

• First of all…it IS an accent!  Hollie’s parents are British!  Awesome!  I love it!  So cute!  I guess she has more of a faint accent since she grew up in the US.  Glad to know now exactly WHAT that “odd” way of speaking is tho.  “Problem” solved!
• Wow, pretty bold…One of Celine’s BIGGEST hits!  This is a TOUGH song,..but if you ever get to see Celine sing live, it’s probably the BEST song she does live…at least in my opinion.  You need a HUGE voice to do it…and Hollie DOES have a huge voice.  Like the judges said, it wasn’t PERFECT, but gotta give it to her…This girl can belt!  I was worried for her ’cause some of those notes are SO big…and she has to hold them all out!  Phew.  But she pulled it off!  And I still love how cute she is.  Didn’t love the dress tho, gotta be honest.  But overall, Hollie did a great job.  As usual, a very reserved yet powerful performance.

Other quick thoughts:

• Jessica?  Eh.  Not the right song…but did NOT like her EXCUSE about how she didn’t have many songs to choose from.  COME ON.  She really sounded like Jennifer Hudson in this performance, imo.  Nice to know the judges won’t just GUSH over her every week.  They kept it real.

• Heejun…NOT GOOD.  He was so pitchy all over.  Sad because I love that song.  He kinda ruined it for me.  And I still feel he is so karaoke.

• Elise definitely did better this week…but it’s hard ’cause I feel like she kinda tainted her image last week.  While her talent is worthy, she’s just not likable enough.

• DeAndre actually sounded NOT BAD this week…but unfortunately he did NOT look comfortable.  And altho his falsetto is his “thing,” when he does it I feel like he’s so much WEAKER vocally.  And his hair back to flowing this week…Not a fan.  At LEAST he didn’t flip or toss it tho.

• Seriously Shannon?!  Bad enough you’re singing a song that’s partly sung by a GROUP…but it was ALSO sung by MARIAH CAREY.  MARIAH CAREY.  Come on.  That song was WAY too big for her.  WAY too big.  The judges were also WAY too nice.  Not good.

• Skylar sounded totally fine, but I thought it was very SAFE.  But I give her credit for STICKING to her decision even tho Will.I.Am. and Jimmy were trying to convince her to change songs.  Altho she moved up a bit on my list last week, not a standout this week.

• I would’ve put Joshua’s video as one of the standouts for the night, but to be honest, he’s just NOT my cup of tea.  I usually compare him to Jacob Lusk from last season, but I will say Joshua is BETTER than Jacob.  And I prefer Josh over Jacob, for sure.

As for Jermaine, I can’t believe he didn’t think all of his “priors” were going to come out at some point!  HELLO?  He really did come across as a “gentle giant”…he seemed to sweet and kind…and a momma’s boy…but I guess we were wrong.  Sad too ’cause the judge actually BROUGHT HIM BACK.  Of ALL the others who didn’t make it, they chose Jermaine.  And he just blew it/let them down.  Oh well.  He wouldn’t have lasted much longer anyway.

What did YOU think about tonight?

AMERICAN IDOL SEASON 11: Top 13 Favorites + *POLL*

So I wasn’t going to post much about American Idol until after the Top 13 performed, but decided I would post who I’m kind of liking right now:

COLTON DIXON

I like Colton!  He’s cool and creative.  He’s kind of like this season’s Adam Lambert.  He probably is a bit dramatic, but that makes his performances quite engaging and entertaining.  So far, I look forward to what he’s going to do.

PHILLIP PHILLIPS

Is this seriously his real name?  Would his parents really do that to him?  He’s another pretty cool guy.  He may not be the most mainstream, but he’s very good.

JESSICA SANCHEZ

I actually think as the weeks progress, Jessica may start to get on my nerves, but for now, she’s on my list just because of her vocal ability.  For a small little girl, she’s really got a VOICE on her!  Pretty impressive.  Not to mention she’s so YOUNG!  16?!  Wow.  But I will say the fact that she played the whole sick sob story was a bit much.  Guess she had to cover herself just IN CASE she ended up bombing during her performance.

HOLLIE CAVANAGH:

When Hollie first started singing, I really wasn’t impressed.  Plus she looked pretty nervous and not the most confident.  But as the song progressed, she got better and better.  She really hit notes I didn’t think she would be able to pull off.  She’s got quite a voice!  Belting and all!  And just like Jessica, amazing how much power she has for such a small girl.  She’s definitely going to have to open up a bit more tho…She’s a bit too reserved and stiff.  If she stays that way, she won’t win over enough fans.  But right now I’d say Hollie is the dark horse.  ”Quiet killer.”

ELISE TESTONE

Elise was the 2nd person to sing Adele’s One and Only this week.  Of ALL the songs to sing, you’d rather sing the same song as someone instead of something else?  Well, in Elise’s case, she made the right call, ’cause she was MILES AHEAD of Jenn Hirsch, who also sang it.  Elise’s was quite soulful and much more emotional.  Obviously, NO ONE will be able to even come CLOSE to Adele, but Elise did a great job.

ERIKA VAN PELT

Erika is right now my FAVORITE.  I thought she was really good on Wednesday night, but I had a feeling she wasn’t going to have an easy time getting in to the Top 13 (which is why she was the ONLY one I voted for this week).  She’s got that more rocker vibe, which I know is NOT as universal as others.  Not to mention she may not be the typical American Idol looks-wise.  So the fact that she got a Wildcard opportunity was awesome.  And her song choice of Lady Gaga’s Edge of Glory was PERFECTION.  She was SO GOOD.  Her voice is so unique…LOVE how low and full it is.  Plus she’s got that growl/grittiness in her tone, which is AMAZING.  For me, watching her perform for the Wildcard was in another class compared to the other contenders.  SO HAPPY the judges saw what I saw and put her thru!  I’m hoping her wildcard performance made an impression on America now where they will start voting more for her!  She deserves it!  LOVE HER.

Just some other thoughts about the rest of the Top 13:

• Not a fan of DeAndre.  Sorry.  I KNOW they picked him because of his falsetto ability, which is def unique.  Can’t STAND the hair…especially how he ALWAYS whips it around while he’s performing.  That’s just to get the girls.  Ugh.  But he’s definitely not one that I will ever vote for, no matter the fact that he’s a hometown boy.
• Skylar has good stage presence but her whole “vibe” just doesn’t appeal to me.  Altho she kinda could remind me of Reba McEntire.
• Jeremy…Eh.  I know JLo loves him, and he can sing and all…but he’s really not the most impressive to me.  He’s just OK.  Plus wasn’t a fan of his little breakdown at the end of his wildcard performance.
• Heejun must be garnering all of the minority vote.  He has a decent voice, but when he performed this week, I really felt like he was just “karaoke.”  Didn’t really feel connection between him and the song.  He’s just trying to sing well.  Not impressed.  Plus his whole “smart ass/comedy” schtick is annoying.  Some may think it’s funny, but I’m SURE it’s gonna rub others the wrong way.
• I really like Jermaine “The Gentle Giant” Jones!  So happy they brought him back!  His voice, while it may not be the most versatile, is so unique.  But really it’s his personality that’s keeping him in.  He’s such a SWEET guy.  So genuine.  So appreciative/grateful.  That alone will keep him around for at least a little while.